Hell's Heaven

Chapter 4

Alex felt his heart beat faster as he neared the drawing room. He had forgotten his crown in the Italian garden. He wanted to go back and get it to make a good first impression with his father after being crowned king (and a little as an excuse to be late to show up infront of his father.) But he didn't. He knew if he didn't act accordingly to whatever his father had order him to do he will be furious.

He ran a hand through his sweat damped hair as he came to a stop at the door to the drawing room. He reached for the door knob, but drew back quickly thinking that he should knock first and then go in. He knocked on the door, three times, lightly, with his right pointer knuckle.

Come in, Alexander. He heared a cold, empty voice in his head say.

The Shadow King always had an ability to speak with his mind. When Alex was small he used to like it when his father talked to him through his mind. But now, almost 15 years after, the shadow king's voice made his stomach tie up into a tight knot. He pushed open the heavy teak doors of the drawing room open and a bird, one of the shadow king's ravens, flew out. Almost taking Alex' ear with it. That was close. He thought and took a few steps into the drawing room.

The room was dark and cold. Alex could make out high-backed chair pulled close to the usually always-lit fireplace. "Father...?" He whispered, moving closer to the shadow king.

Ah, Alexander, it's been a while since we last met, huh, my boy?

"Hello, father." Alex said, trying to not look shaken. "It's been a while, indeed, but I have got to ask." He went on. "What made you want to come out of isolation and see me, father?"

The Shadow king drew out his hand and pointed, motioning Alex to sit in the chair next to him. Alex saw that his father's hand -unlike his or Aiden's- was black. Ink black. Both him and Aiden had pale human like skin. Maybe their skin colour came from their mother? Alex wondered if the rest of him was dark too, under his cloak.

Alex sat down where his father had asked, pointed, him to. Without answering Alex' question, the king said, Where is your crown, my little princeling?

At his father's words, Alex thought of all the times he had wanted to go back and get his crown from where he had been on the way to the drawing room. He cursed himself for turning down every one of his thoughts to do so. "I, uh, forgot it in the Italian garden, father."

The shadow king made an impatient noise.

"Not to worry. Aiden and Ari are there. They'll bring it back." Alex saw his father's shoulders relax from under his cloak. He exhaled in relief and sank into his chair.

Speaking of Princess Aira, the shadow king said. How is she? Is she worthy of becoming your queen, Alexander?

"Uh, well, father, about that... I'm not sure if I want to get married to Ari. Especially not in two weeks time."

Oh? And why not, my boy?

Alex ached to tell him the truth. The truth about why he didn't want to marry Ari. The truth about him and Will. But he never could. If the shadow king knew about him and Will, he would have Will exhiled or thrown in the dungeon or torched or, even worse, Killed.

So, he kept his mouth shut, hoping his father would realise that he wasn't comfortable with the topic and will change it. But instead of changing the topic, the shadow king said: please don't tell me this is about you and that hybrid William.

Alex was shocked. How could have his father known about him and Will? They never did anything in public, not that they knew of. "H-how-"

Even if I'm not here, my little Alexander, my ravens keep an eye on everything for me.

Alex swallowed in a breath. He had never payed much notice to the ravens going through and fro in the castle. He knew his father used to adore ravens. Not just his father. His whole family adored ravens. That was the whole point behind their kingdom name. You can't rule over a kingdom called "Ravenscar" and not have any ravens in it.

All those times when the ravens flew past him, they were spying on him for his father. The ravens on the throne room, the library, in the gardens, everywhere were spies sent by his father. They have reported his every move to them. If they told his father about him and Will, what else might have them told him?

"Father, I...I..."

You...you...? Listen here, Alexander, you're marrying princess Ari to bring peace between our kind and the angels. And that hybrid of yours, he can't make that happen now, can he?

"But father I-"

I know what you're going to say, Alexander. You're going to say that you can't marry someone who you don't love. But ask yourself this, my boy: how many lives is a hybrid worth?

If princess Aria declares war we're done for. I trust you to make the right decision.

"Father, p-please, I'll find another way to keep peace. I-I'll tell them the truth. That-"

That you're gay? I don't think they'll take it well. I mean, turning down their own angelic princess? For a hybrid? They'll be furious.

Alex felt tears burn in the back of his throat. "W-what if they e-exept it?"

They never will, Alexander.

"D-do you...do you exept it?"

If it was someone else, I would have have them hung. But since it's my own son, I'll make an exception. But yes, I do not exept the fact that you are what you are. The king snapped his jet-black fingers and one of his ravens appeared. It landed on the shadow king's black hand. This raven will keep an eye out of you. If you go behind my orders, my little friend here will report them to me and I will have William killed. Do I make myself clear, Alexander?

Alex nodded. Not trusting his mouth to speak.

Good. Now move along, Alexander. I wish to speak with my future daughter-in-law as well.

"Oh stop it, Aiden. You're too funny!" Ari said, laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes.

"Yeah, well, that's what you get when you hangout with me."

After Alex had left too see the shadow king and ask him what he want, Aiden and Ari were left alone in the Italian garden. Aiden took the time alone with Ari to make a good impression and to get to know her future sister-in-law better. From what Alex had told him, Aiden expected Ari to be stuck up and bossy, but she wasn't. She was actually pretty nice.

Sure, Aiden has known Ari since he was ten years old, but he'd never gotten to spend some quality time, alone, with her. Which was quite a bummer since he and Ari had a lot of things on common.

"My, my, Aiden, I never knew you were into comedy." Ari says, straightening herself on the bench.

"There is a lot you don't know about me, princess." Aiden sighed. "Well, nobody knows much about me for that matter. No one cared much."

Ari looked surprised at his words. "Why? You're amazing!" She realized what she had just said and blushed bright red. "I-I ment it not like in amazing amazing. Just as in...amazing..." She sighed. "Tell me to stop." She lowered her head and a lock of her honey-blond hair fell into her face. Aiden pushed it back.

"Why in the name of satan will I say that?"

"Beacuse of your brother-"

"What about me?"